Seaspray (Starflight897)
This is my entry for Cloud’s Rather Complicated Contest! Claws off! Infobox picture is a younger version of Seaspray, when she didn’t have any scars. Description Seaspray is a emerald green SeaWing with milky white eyes. She was born blind, and as a result of her crashing into things, she has many, many small white scars criss-crossing her snout. Thin white scars stripe her forearms, and towards the tip of her tail jagged scars slash across her scales, the result of hitting razor-coral. Her lights are pure white, and brighter than average, not that it does her any good. Her wing membranes are slightly translucent and are jade-colored, matching the webbing between her darker spikes. Personality Cautious and anxious, Seaspray has learned to slow down and keep a level head, as speed = collisions and anger = lashing tail = crashing into stuff. She’s very friendly though, and quick-witted, allowing her to make friends easily. She doesn’t like pity, and will immediately discourage it if she senses someone pitying her. History (Sorry this is kinda super long) Seaspray woke into a world of darkness. At least she thought she woke up. Her eyes seemed to be open, yet everything was black. She could tell there were things in front of her from the water moving, and one lightly picked her up. It seemed to be like her, and it also seemed to be... She didn’t know, her young brain couldn’t pick up on it, but the dragon, her mom, in front of her was sad, and a bit disappointed. The newborn dragonet smiled when she realized the creature was her mother, and laughed a cloud of bubble when another one, her father, lightly tickled under her chin. She felt herself strapped into a bunch of slimy ropes - a harness - and protested, flailing her little talons around. The mother-creature paused for a second, and did something, then the sad feeling came back to her. The dragonet frowned, wondering why. Soon, the dragonet found that the floaty feeling had disappeared, and she was hanging in the harness. The drippy stuff was falling off of her, and she shook drops off her snout. The father-creature laughed, the first sound the dragonet heard, a loud, happy noise, and startling compared to the quiet swishing of water. “Seaspray?” the mother-creature asked. The dragonet thought it seemed directed at her, and imitated the noise. “Sheespraw?” the little newborn asked back. “Yes, darling. You are Seaspray.” “Sheespraw!” the newly named Seaspray yelped, happy. “Seaspray...” her mother asked, with worry in her voice this time. “Can you see?” Seaspray tried to open her eyes again, but they were already open. “Seaspray, I’m afraid you’re blind,” her father said. Even as a dragonet, Seaspray understood the crushing sadness and disappointment behind the words. “Blynd?” Seaspray asked, trying to sound out the words. “It means you can’t see, my little squid. But don’t worry about that. You’ll be fine and grow up to be a responsible, loyal SeaWing.” ---- Seaspray was tearing through the water in a panic. She couldn’t remember where her parents - who she learned were Cuttlefish and Eel - were. She was lost blind in the middle of the ocean. She poured on more speed, disregarding her parents’ suggestions to not go that fast, and flashed her scales in what her parents told her was the “help” pattern. Tail, then side, then snout. Seaspray repeated the pattern and rammed snout first into a rock. A sharp rock. An annoyingly pointy rock. Her snout started bleeding, and she blindly felt around for the wound. After covering it, for blood attracts sharks, she flicked her tail in annoyance, and promptly let out a bubble-screech of pain, yanking her tail away from the spot. Her parents had been teaching her about the dangers of swimming blind, and she scowled when she remembered razor-coral. Moons-blasted razor-coral was just like it’s name, sharp and spiky and painful to run into. She swam away from the coral and perched on the rock, continuing to flash the pattern for help, ignoring her stinging tail and keeping a talon over her snout, hoping it wouldn’t block the Aquatic. The water swished and a dragon nudged her. The dragon seemed to be flashing something, and was confused when Seaspray didn’t respond. One of the few other patterns Seaspray’s parents had taught her was flashing ones on her snout, then below her eyes. I’m blind, Seaspray flashed, practicing the well-taught pattern. A small bubble escaped from the other SeaWing’s mouth, and Seaspray figured it was the usual gasp of surprise. Seaspray wilted slightly at it though. Even though she heard it many times, whenever she went out with Cuttlefish and Eel it always hurt a bit to hear it, when that little barrier separating her from "normal" went back up. The SeaWing beside her recovered faster than most, and she paused, probably flashing something, before facetaloning. Seaspray cut off whatever the SeaWing was going to do next and flashed something else, the third and final pattern she'd learned. I'm Seaspray. Is there any air nearby where we can talk? Seaspray realized that she'd messed up the last few words and quickly fixed them, praying that it was the right ones. The SeaWing, who's name was still a mystery, lightly grabbed Seaspray's talon and led her down and around and in a bunch of different directions until Seaspray was disoriented. She noticed that the talon around her's felt small, like it was another dragonet, and Seaspray felt relieved. Adult dragons were more menacing, somehow, even if they didn't intend to be. The other SeaWing led her up, and their heads broke the surface. "This way," the other SeaWing said, her voice echoing around like they were in a cave. Seaspray was pretty sure the other dragonet was a girl too. "I found a cave that we can talk in. I'm Tang, by the way. You said your name was Seaspray?" "Yeah," Seaspray replied, concentrating on not stubbing her talons as they walked up a small rocky mound that rose out of the water. "There's a flat stone on your left if you want to sit," Tang said, trying to be helpful. After a moment of reaching through the air, Seaspray found the rock and sat down. "Thanks," Seaspray said, wincing as her injured tail flicked against a rock. “So,” Tang said, noticing the wince. “Why were you flashing for help?” “Umm...” Seaspray said, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I got lost. In open water, at least I thought it was open water, it’s kinda hard to tell where I am. My parents disappeared, and I couldn’t find them.” “That’s terrible!” Tang exclaimed. “I can help you find them, what are their names?” “Eel and Cuttlefish,” Seaspray said, relived that this kind dragon was going to help her. “Okay! What do they look like?” “Eel has yellow-green scales and light yellow lights, and Cuttlefish has super dark green scales with white lights. At least that’s what they told me.” “You know,” Tang started. “I think I saw them.” “Really?!” Seaspray exclaimed. “When?! Where?!” “Calm down and I’ll tell you,” Tang said, although she was laughing at Seaspray’s energy. Once Seaspray had stopped bouncing on her rock, she started explaining. “I was just swimming around when I passed a pair of dragons like that. They were flashing frantically, in the pattern for help, like you, but other dragons were around them so I kept swimming. Then I came across you, sitting on the rock also flashing for help. I know where they are, follow me!” With that, she must have dove neatly off of the rocks and into the water, because the water splashed. Seaspray hurriedly stepped down the rock-mound, stubbing her talons and scraping her shins. “Right, blind,” Tang said, poking her head out of the water. “I’m so sorry! Here, let me guide you. Stone in front of your right talon. Left talon move to the right. Little further...” In that manner, Seaspray avoided stubbing any more talons, or getting even more cuts, although her tail was bleeding again. “You know, I have an idea I want to try for you. Not now though, you’ve got to get to your parents. Can you follow this?” Tang lightly set Seaspray’s wing over hers, so their wings would brush as they swam. “I think so,” Seaspray said. With that, the pair submerged themselves, and Tang led the way to Eel and Cuttlefish. Seaspray knew they’d found her parents when some giant dragon tacklehugged her. Eel squeezed her tight, probably flashing something to Tang. Eel paused and lightly tapped a claw near each of Seaspray’s wounds, and took Seaspray’s talon. She probably motioned something to Tang too, for the SeaWing was following them. Their heads surfaced, and Cuttlefish started asking about Seaspray’s injuries while Eel thanked Tang. Tang started discussing the idea she had, while Cuttlefish wrapped seaweed around Seaspray’s injuries to prevent more bleeding. “She’s a nice girl,” Cuttlefish whispered to Seaspray. “It’s a chance for you to make a friend.” “I know,” Seaspray responded. “I think we’re friends already!” ---- Seaspray felt a cold, slippery thing touch her snout. She was trying Tang’s idea, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Tang thought that if dolphins used echolocation, then dragons could too. After all, Queen Coral thought that they were related. The dolphin let out a high-pitched click, and Tang lightly nudged Seaspray. Seaspray flicked her tail nervously before trying the same click. Her click was way lower, and didn’t sound as smoothly, and Tang seemed disappointed. Try again, she seemed to be saying. After the dolphin let out another click, Seaspray followed it with one of her own. This time she caught it - the faint echo of the high noise bouncing off stuff, and painting a sort of mental picture. Her parents had been teaching her how sound worked in preparation for this, so Seaspray knew that the sooner the click came back, the closer the object. She let out another click - and flinched back. According to that click, there was something less than a talon-length in front of her snout. Then it moved, and Seaspray realized that it was the dolphin. Tang was excited now, seemingly dancing in the water when Seaspray sent a click her way. The image was still unstable and sketchy, so Seaspray could only really understand a large, moving, oval-shaped blob. Her throat was starting to hurt too, but she pushed through it and sent another click, getting a different image of Tang flying forward to tacklehug her. She flinched back and Tang let out a delighted laugh full of bubbles before wrapping her arms around Seaspray. She led Seaspray to the surface, then whispered a quick “Sorry!” and disappeared under the surface. “Tang?!” Seaspray asked, startled by the sudden splash. “Tang!?!?” she whirled in a circle, feeling for her friend. “Not funny, Tang!” The problem with leaving Seaspray here was that it was a new location, so Seaspray didn’t know her way around, and Tang had lead her here, so she didn’t know how to get home. Her throat was hurting worse now from the high-pitched noises, but Seaspray stuck her head underwater and let out a click. Wait. Wrong note. She let out another click, higher-pitched this time. A large oval that was suspiciously like Tang (or at least what Seaspray had “seen” earlier) was off to Seaspray’s right, and she swam that way, only to feel the water shifting and Tang disappear. Seaspray clicked again but couldn’t find Tang, and her clicks grew more frantic. One of her clicks found something like a wing, and Seaspray realized that Tang was hidden behind a rock, extending a wing, and that she hadn’t left. Seaspray would have sighed, but she was underwater, so she just kinda sank slightly with relief. Tang was just testing her. Seaspray let out a fast series of clicks, ignoring her protesting throat, and charged at Tang. Tang seemed apologetic and nervous, and wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings. She brought Seaspray back to the surface, unsure whether Seaspray was mad, but Seaspray was just glad that Tang hadn’t disappeared. “Are you angry?” Tang asked nervously. “No, you were just trying to help,” Seaspray responded, twining her tail with Tang’s. “Did it work?” Tang asked. “Yeah!” Seaspray responded. “Let’s tell my parents!” “Great idea!” Tang lightly brushed her wing against Seaspray and the pair dove, Seaspray being guided by Tang. Seaspray was reluctant to chirp again, as her throat was hurting, but she let out one more, just in time to fold her wing away from a rock. It still scraped her left hind leg though, and she sighed a cloud of bubbles, knowing that she would probably end up with another scar. Not like she could see those, though. Tang shifted directions beside her and swam down, her wing keeping pressure on Seaspray’s to help guide her. She kept her own wing right below Tang’s, and trusted her completely to get her back. Tang started slowing down, and Seaspray winced as she let out another click, discovering the Tang was floating in place. At least the large blob that was Tang was floating in place. Tang slipped her wing under Seaspray’s this time, and they swam up, probably towards the surface. Seaspray’s head broke the water and she lightly rubbed her throat with a talon, wishing it would stop hurting. “Does it hurt?” Tang asked, noticing Seaspray’s talon at her throat. “A little,” Seaspray admitted, her voice sounding weird after the clicks. “You’ll probably get used to it,” Eel said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. “AAAUGH!” Seaspray shrieked, startled. She then winced and put her talon on her throat. “Sorry!” Eel apologized, resting a talon on Seaspray’s shoulder. “Cuttlefish is beside me, so don’t let him startle you. Now, what was it you and Tang wanted to show us?” “Well, I’ve been teaching her something,” Tang started, explaining about the echolocation. “Watch!” Seaspray stuck her head underwater and started swimming, making the clicks every couple seconds. She dodged almost everything, except a few small jags that jutted out from a rock, and she nicked her wing on a piece of coral floating in the water, but other than that she dodged everything perfectly, pushing through the increasing pain in her throat. She turned back and swam back to her parents and Tang, dodging the coral but hitting the rock shards. Both wings were bleeding now, along with her arm, but she ignored it, used to those hurting. When she let out a last click and swam beside Tang and her mom up to the surface, she felt like she would burst with happiness. She had swam BY HERSELF WITHOUT CRASHING. That coral didn’t count. Neither did the rock. She poked her head up and grinned, feeling her parents proud eyes on her. “Isn’t it great?” she asked, happily flicking her tail. “Now Tang won’t have to go everywhere with me!” Tang looked startled, then... sad? She was about to say something too, but stopped herself and forced a smile. “Yeah! It’s great!” she said, although her eyes said otherwise. Seaspray didn’t notice though, she was too happy. She let out a click in the air, and frowned. “Weird,” she said. She tried another one, ignoring her burning throat still, and cocked her head, confused. The clicks were strange in the air. They were more accurate, but weird. The image faded quickly, and she barely got to “see” anything. “What’s wrong?” Tang asked, worried. “It’s... different above water. The clicks are shorter. I have to click more,” Seaspray said, pained when thinking of her throat. “And your throat is still bugging you, so- three moons, I’m such a squid-brain. I brought this just in case but forgot to give it to you.” She held out a small vial of golden-green stuff. “What is it?” Seaspray asked, slightly grossed out by the smell. “Honey and seaweed. There might be fish oil too. I think there’s a trace of mint. I don’t really know, but Lobster, you know, that one doctor with the reddish tinted scales? He says it works wonders.” “Oooookay,” Seaspray said, silently judging the elixir. After a moment of consideration, she took the flask and swallowed a mouthful. It tasted like honey swallowed by a fish, not that she knew what that tasted like. The honey helped, and the mint gave it a chilling feeling, cooling her throat. She smiled gratefully and held the vial out. “No, it’s for you,” Tang said, grinning in return. “Keep it, for if your throat hurts more.” “Thanks!” Seaspray said. “Your father has to get back to work now, my little squid, so we have to go.” Eel kissed the top of Seaspray’s head and disappeared under the water, with Cuttlefish following her. “Want to keep working?” Tang asked. “Sure!” Seaspray said. “Now that I have this,” she held up the honey-seaweed elixir, “I’m all better!” “Good!” Tang said. “Do you want me to guide you to the cave or do you want to try solo?” “Solo!” Seaspray said, excited. Tang paused, and her movements slowed, which Seaspray had learned meant sadness when coming from Tang, and she was about to ask what was wrong when Tang recovered. “You think you’re ready?” “Yeah!” “Okay then, you’ll lead.” Tang waited for Seaspray to dive, then followed her. Seaspray let out clicks fairly often, the elixir coating her throat soothing, and she was learning how to tell more detail about things. Odd echoes were due to round objects. A bunch of small clicks at the same or similar times was a bunch of things, like the jagged parts at the edge of a rock or the limbs of coral. She swam faster when she reached a cave, and Tang was still following her, so Seaspray swam into the cave. She made one of the clicks at Tang and grinned when she realized that she could make out the general shape of Tang’s head. Her skill was improving. She swam upwards and paused, making sure that Tang was following her, before climbing onto the rock she knew was in front of her. The dolphin was gone from the water, but that was fine. She shook sand off her talons, still surprised at how Tang had managed to fix up the little island. Tang had taken off most of the rocks so the ground was near-flat, and brought buckets and buckets of sand onto the little platform, so it was more comfortable and wouldn’t stub Seaspray’s talons. Relationships Eel: Seaspray loves her mom, and is glad that she's always there to support her with her disability. She also likes that her mom doesn't just do everything for her, and taught her how to do things on her own. Cuttlefish: Seaspray will forever be grateful to her father, for helping her learn Aquatic (a few phrases) without being able to see, for nudging her towards Tang (a great decision and a lifelong friend), and for helping her throughout the hard times of her life Shell: Seaspray loves her little sister, and is eternally thankful that Shell didn't end up blind too. She gets along surprising well with her, except when Shell forgets about her blindness and tells Seaspray to look at something. There's only so much echolocation can do. Tang: Tang. Oh, Tang. Seaspray loves her friend as much as any member of her family, and will forever be in her debt for teaching her echolocation, helping with her blindness, and, most importantly, being a friend when she needed it most. Trivia *This is the fourth version of my contest entry, and the best developed (in my opinion) *Seaspray was originally going to be a lesbian, and become Tang's girlfriend, but I decided that it was unnessesary to the story and I needed to get something down for the contest after procrastinating for a month **I later decided to add this because y e s *I tried to get Seaspray a name that had to do with her blindness, then decided that would be cruel of her parents and asked Aira for help *Seaspray eventually figures out the echolocation, but Tang stays her guide, and eventually gets a permit and becomes her official guide Gallery Seaspray.png|FR style Seaspray Seaspray.jpg|Seaspray by Epi!! Thanks! Seasprayayayay.png|Seaspray by SmileyTurnips! TY!! Screenshot 2019-10-22-22-57-20.png|Seaspray by Limey! TYSM! Category:Characters Category:SeaWings Category:Dragonets Category:Disabled Characters Category:Females Category:Work In Progress Category:Content (Starflight897)